I have a number of writing goals for this year, but, for a number of reasons, I’m reluctant to commit myself to specific projects. First, I have a tendency to seriously underestimate the amount of time any given project will take. Secondly, a project that seems right in January might not be so in October, and I don’t want to do something just so that I can tick it off my list. I want an umbrella resolution that will inform my shorter-term writing goals; a framework, with lots of flexibility.
So, what my resolution came down to was not a list of to-dos, but an attitude.
In 2011 I want to work towards treating my writing more seriously, more professionally.
What does this mean to me?
It means being disciplined about writing and creating good habits. It means writing six days a week, hitting a (rather low) minimum wordcount, even when I don’t want to.
It means being more intentional about my project planning, including research, rather than just winging it, as I am prone to.
It means learning to write synopses so I can actually query agents/publishers who require them.
It means following through with a submission plan instead of getting bored/distracted/discouraged a quarter way through and wandering away to do something less painful and ego-bruising.
It means seeking out and utilizing opportunities to sub my work, get feedback, fail, pick myself back up, and go on.
I have micro-goals that fall under one or more of these categories. I have a deadline for writing the first draft of Kai’s book, some submission opportunities to pursue, and a couple of new novel ideas kicking around my head. More on those as the year goes on…
What about you? Any resolutions?
*cheers*
That looks awesome! Go you! 🙂
Yes I, too, want to spruce up my attitude toward writing and develop a professional approach even though I’m still very new to writing.
Thanks to your unintentional word-count challenge *grins*
I’m writing much more regularly AND I’m getting less and less inclined to push writing to the bottom of the list when there’s a lot to do.
Main goals:
1. Finish rewriting Mystery in Morocco.
2. Continue with HTTS
Minor goals:
1. Work on what I call ‘word craft’. Paying attention to using words. I’m taking part in an online crit-group and find analysing others’ work helps me.
2. Submit some of my writing to the crit-group. I need to find the courage and time to do this!
3. Resurrect my short story.
Nothing about writing synopses but I’m a way off that yet 🙂
Good luck with your goals. Thanks for running with the 500-words-a-day challenge. It’s been really helpful to have a support group.
Your goals sound awesome—and similar to mine for this year:
1) Treat writing like a job.
That means get things done (specifically, complete 2 or 3 items [be they whatever length, but drabbles don’t count] every single week), submit work to publishers and self-publish other work after vigorous review/editing by my (completely, you-wouldn’t-believe-how-much) grandmother, and get. things. DONE.
2) Learn a new writing style: one that MOST people can understand.
Not merely the initiated few. :shakes head at self:
May your year exceed your goals! 🙂
#1: Where are you thinking of self-publishing? On your website or other venues, like Smashwords?
#2: LOL. How does one go about learning a new writing style? And what’s so obscure about your current one (or should I take a peek into INTO THIS WOOD to find that out? :D)?
PS: How soon do you need Into This Wood back? I have another novel ms in the pipeline to crit before I can get to it. Will that be okay or do you want it back sooner?
#1: All of the above. 😀
#2: Practice really.
In This Wood was actually written before I took a major hiatus from writing and embarked upon a few years of changing the way I think to an incredibly technical, high-falutin’-vocabulary, and yet much better studied way of thinking. In short, I imply waaaaaaaaaaay too much, and some people can catch everything I pack in, which makes a richer read, but most people only catch the top-level. I’m learning how to bridge ideas for readers. (Nomi’s helping. A lot.)
#2.5: The honest answer goes like this: Of course, I want it back sooner! Everyone else can wait! Uh… the considerate response is first come, first served and I AM capable of being patient. :glares at self: But I do admit to wanting to submit next month if no MORE major revisions are in order. (I was actually hoping for January, but Nomi is only probably going to be finished today. Ah, well. Good thing I have other things to write, huh?)
I think the reason In This Wood doesn’t suffer from the problem a lot of my recent work has is that my ideas have grown from a young teen’s to an adults, and they’re stronger and better and deeper; HOWEVER, my writing (being on hiatus and all) didn’t. So now my pen is catching up with my brain. 😀
And really, I blame the poetry.